To celebrate the 23rd birthday of the UFC, here are 23 moments critical in making it the global phenomenon it has become:

UFC is born: In 1992, Michael Abramson comes up with the name Ultimate Fighting Championship for a new pay-per-view venture that matches martial art vs. martial art to determine that best style of self-defense.

Call it the Octagon: Though the origin of the name and design is shrouded in mystery and contradictory stories, the Octagon itself, first used in 1993, has changed little in the years since. For each event, the mat is custom painted and none are reused.

UFC 1: Held Nov. 12, 1993, at McNichols Arena in Denver, the pay-per-view event is a tournament matching different forms of martial arts to determine which style of self-defense is superior. Jiujitsu master Royce Gracie wins.

UFC 7: Held Sept. 8, 1995, in Buffalo. The final between Maco Ruas and Paul Varelans is considered the first match during which mixed martial arts are used by individuals in the competition.

UFC 11: Originally scheduled for New York City, but opposition to MMA by political and civic leaders forced the event to be moved to Augusta, Ga., and held on Sept. 20, 1996.

Legislative Session, 1997: New York State Athletic Commission chairman Randy Gordon calls the UFC “barbaric” and Gov. George Pataki pushes through legislation that officially bans mixed martial arts in the state.

UFC purchased: Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, along with business partner Dana White, purchase the UFC for $2 million in January 2001 and create Zuffa, LLC.

Unified rules: Larry Hazzard, chairman of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, helps the UFC create a set of unified rules and sanctions implemented in UFC 28.

Viva Las Vegas: UFC gets sanctioning in Nevada and holds UFC 33 on Sept. 28, 2001, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It was the most recent time — before UFC 205 — with three title fights on same card.

Tito Ortiz.Getty Images

UFC 40: Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock meet in the main event that drew a sellout crowd at the MGM Grand and an unprecedented 150,000 pay-per-view buys, a rate double previous events. ESPN and USA Today provide mainstream coverage.

The Ultimate Fighter: Debuts on Spike TV on January 2005. The reality show becomes an instant hit, introducing the sport to a worldwide audience.

UFC 66: Ortiz and Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell meet in a rematch that becomes the first UFC bout to attract more than 1 million buys.

Marc Ratner hired: The longtime executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission becomes the UFC’s vice president of Regulatory Affairs in 2006.

FOX partnership: UFC partners with FOX on August 2011 and moves the Ultimate Fighter after 14 seasons on Spike.

Rowdy Rousey: The UFC signs its first female fighter, Ronda Rousey, in 2012. She becomes the women’s bantamweight champion and an international star.

UFC 157: On Feb. 23, 2013, Rousey meets Liz Carmouche at the Honda Center in the first women’s fight in UFC history.

Tarnished Silver: Sheldon Silver is indicted in January 2015 on federal corruption charges. As Speaker of the Assembly, Silver had repeatedly blocked votes that would have legalized MMA in New York. He is replaced by Carl E. Heastie, a former sponsor of a bill to legalize MMA.

New York, New York: Bill A2604 is approved by the State Assembly on March 22, 2016, with a vote of 113-25 when it needed just 76 votes to pass.

Debut set: Moments after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signs the new bill into law, Lorenzo Fertitta announces the UFC will make its debut at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12, 2016.

Sale of the Century: The UFC is sold for an estimated $4 billion to WME-IMG and several private equity firms. It is the richest sale in the history of professional sport and ends the Fertitta brothers’ relationship with the company.